Excessive exposure of the skin to sunlight is known to cause skin damage and skin disorders such as scaling and texture changes of the stratum corneum. Excessive and/or chronic exposure of the skin to sunlight is also known to accelerate skin ageing. In order to prevent such skin disorders, sunscreen compositions containing ultraviolet light (UV) protecting agents at controlled safe and effective levels are available for skin use. UV protection agents having different chemical/physical properties are available, for example, organic and inorganic, hydrophobic and hydrophilic. Many sunscreen compositions available on the market are oil-based so that the composition is not easily worn away by perspiration and/or water.
In that sunscreen compositions are more frequently used during warm seasons, such as in the summer, consumers desire a fresh, cool feeling to the skin upon use of sunscreen compositions. Such desire is particularly strong for consumers who use sunscreen compositions on a daily basis. However, in that sunscreen compositions are usually oil-based, it is generally difficult to provide such fresh, cool feeling to the skin. Rather, sunscreen compositions tend to impart a greasy feel to the skin. The perception of such negative skin feels may be particularly true for consumers having oily skin, and/or consumers who live in tropic or semi-tropic areas. Sunscreen compositions such as those disclosed in Japanese Patent Publications A-7-165533 and A-9-263524 have been proposed. While such sunscreen compositions may provide sunscreen benefits, further improvement is desired in view of skin feel.
Yet another desire of the consumer is to have a sunscreen composition that is easy to apply and not messy upon use. In view of the composition being oil-based and/or containing a certain amount of metallic oxides, applying sunscreen composition to the skin may leave the hands and fingers greasy and/or with white residues. This may lead the consumer to wash his/her hands, thereby adding another step for applying a sunscreen composition. Such additional step is unfavorable in a daily skin care regimen.
Meanwhile, the use of sunscreen compositions, particularly in the form of lotions and creams, as foundation bases are known. “Foundation base” products are products to be applied on the skin prior to applying the foundation, and are increasing popularity in Asian countries such as Japan. Foundation bases are used for enhancing the performance of the foundation, and thus are typically designed for increasing spreadability of the foundation and increasing attachment of the foundation. Foundation bases should not affect the performance of the foundation to be applied on top of it. In this respect, it is generally desirable that the foundation base has controlled affinity and solubility with the foundation. Foundation bases which further provide UV protection benefits are convenient for the consumer.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need for a sunscreen composition which provides effective UV protection benefit, while leaving a fresh, cool, non-greasy feeling to the skin, even for consumers having oily skin. There is also a need for a sunscreen composition which is easy to apply and not messy upon use. There is also a need for a sunscreen composition which can be suitably used as a foundation base product.
None of the existing art provides all of the advantages and benefits of the present invention.